Liverpool

A group of Liverpool fans were keen to remind one of their closest rivals about their Premier League success this season.

On Tuesday, an advertisement on a billboard close to Old Trafford, home of Manchester United, read: "Manchester, just 37 miles to the country's most successful football club."

The billboard message contained the logo of The Anfield Wrap channel, which later posted on social media:, external "A message for Manchester... and we're never gonna stop."

By winning this season's competition, Liverpool are now level with United on 20 league titles.

Bayer Leverkusen's Netherlands right-back Jeremie Frimpong, 24, is closing in on a £29.5m move to Liverpool. (Mail, external)

Liverpool and Arsenal are vying to sign Bournemouth's 20-year-old Spain centre-back Dean Huijsen, who is also being tracked by Real Madrid. (Sky Germany, external)

Huijsen dreams of joining Real Madrid, but the Premier League's top two, along with Chelsea are prepared to trigger the defender's £50m release clause to get the deal done this month. (Fabrizio Romano, external)

Finally, Real Madrid are close to announcing the signing of 26-year-old English right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool, who are demanding a compensation fee of £840,000 in order for him to play in the Club World Cup. (ESPN, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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Ben Ramsdale
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Lifelong Liverpool fan Carl Duffy, 41, was at Sunday's game with his daughter in the main stand, and said both of them booed Trent Alexander-Arnold's introduction.

"The reason we booed comes down to a number of things, some of which in isolation would make this scenario different but combined it was always going to lead to this," Duffy explained.

"Trent claims to be a local lad whose dreams came true, always talking about watching the 2005 Champions League trophy coming home from his house on Queens Drive. His idol was Steven Gerrard. Everything about him screamed 'he's just the same as us'.

"We identified with him, he was living our dream. To us it gets no bigger than Liverpool being on top and being part of that.

"In our minds nothing is bigger than Liverpool, that's how it is here. It feels like a betrayal, a backstab, like everything that was said before wasn't really true, or at least not as true as was portrayed."

Richard Davis, 50, was at the game against Arsenal and also condoned the booing from some supporters.

"Alexander-Arnold is widely known as a local lad that is a Liverpool fan," he said. "I, and most fans, can't even begin to imagine how amazing it would be to be in his place so where's the respect to 'his' club?

"If you genuinely love the club, and care, why would you run your contract down for the last year or so, to make sure that the club gets absolutely nothing to replace you after they have invested for the last 20 years in turning you into the superstar that you've become?

"No-one begrudges any Liverpool player wanting to change their lives and go elsewhere if they want to, but go the right way. Go with respect and some class. Be honest and straight with the club, and don't play this 'will I, won't I?' game that he's been playing with them.

"I am a fan, and this does mean more. Alexander-Arnold would have been a legend of the club had he stayed. He would probably been in most fans' top 10 Liverpool players of all time - but I think that legacy has all gone now and he's really tarnished how he's left so badly."

Read more on the debate around the reaction to Alexander-Arnold's exit

Former Premier League forward Theo Walcott, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club about how Trent Alexander-Arnold could be affected by the mixed reaction he received from Liverpool supporters at Anfield on Sunday:

"Is Trent OK? Because we normalise this and we don't really know the aftermath of what it's going to do. We talk about mental health, how players and men particularly like to hold things in.

"His team-mate Andy Robertson came out and protected him in the right way, which he should, but this will have damaged him in some way at some point.

"I was a Liverpool fan growing up, I couldn't imagine booing any player, regardless of their situation. I understand why he's moved, he's done everything he can achieve at the club apart from being captain and all these things he's said. But there's no loyalty in football.

"For me, I just found it quite disturbing and really uncomfortable.

"People think they know players because they see them on the pitch, but they really don't."

Listen to the discussion on BBC Sounds

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Sport's senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel has been answering your questions on the transfer window.

Chris: Liverpool will probably replace Darwin and Jota this summer. I'm hoping for Lautaro Martinez personally, but I have no idea what fits the club's profile these days. Victor Oshimen is another player I thought would be a fit. What are your thoughts about Liverpool's misfiring number nine position?

Ben: If Isak is off the table for Liverpool, which other forward seems most likely? I really like Sesko but don't see him linked at all...

Sami answered: There aren't many strikers on the market, which is a problem for clubs like Liverpool who actually need one. It also means the prices aren't cheap.

Alexander Isak is the dream target for Liverpool, but that looks virtually impossible this summer owing to cost. Newcastle will likely demand a astronomical figure, way in excess of £120m, for Isak - that sort of fee is unrealistic for any club to meet.

So the other options appear to be Benjamin Sesko, Hugo Ekitike and Viktor Gyokeres. Lautaro Martinez is a wonderful forward, but you'd imagine it would be very difficult to prize him away from Inter Milan at the moment.

We know Liam Delap is available for £30m, but it's hard to foresee a scenario where the Ipswich striker becomes Liverpool's starting centre forward.

There is striking talent out there, but it is a sellers' market which is expensive news for Liverpool.

Read more from a transfer Q&A with our experts

Trent Alexander-Arnold's upcoming departure from Liverpool "is complicated," says The Anfield Wrap's John Gibbons, resulting in a mixed reaction and feeling since the announcement that Alexander-Arnold is leaving Anfield.

"There are a lot of false narratives being thrown about," Gibbons said on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club. "There is a lot of talk about him leaving on a free transfer and that didn't help the likes of Raheem Sterling or Philippe Coutinho.

"There are also plenty of Scousers who wish him well as well as those that don't. Some people are just very angry that a player they like, and is from the city, is leaving. But it is the way it goes.

"I was on the Kop and it was a real mix. There wasn't too much booing around me but you could obviously hear it. That made some people get pretty angry.

"It comes from it [booing] not being the right thing to do and people saying you have to support him is whilst he is wearing the Liverpool shirt. It is complicated because then you have the people just stood there and wishing the whole thing wasn't happening! That is probably the majority of fans.

"But standing there awkwardly, as I was, is a hard thing to pick up on as that creates no sound.

"It isn't a perfect split [in ages of fans booing] - there were younger people who didn't boo but my friend's dad did. It is a decent point that, generally, it is younger supporters that are the angriest.

"For them, they can remember the dream of playing for Liverpool and so many of them would give anything to play for the club just once. In their minds, they have got someone who has the potential to win trophies for Liverpool in the future and potentially captain the club. I think there is a feeling that he is throwing away their dreams.

"The worst thing you can be accused of in Liverpool is 'you think you're too good for us, do you?' And I think there is a little bit of that going on with Trent at the moment, especially with the younger generation. "

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Colombian winger Luis Diaz, 28, has pledged his future to Liverpool despite having previously been linked with Barcelona. (Express, via Telemundo), external

Real Madrid have not yet made Liverpool a formal offer to sign England right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold early, a week after asking the Premier League club if the 26-year-old could play for them in next month's Club World Cup. (Sky Sports), external

Liverpool could look to replace Alexander-Arnold with Bayer Leverkusen and Netherlands right-back Jeremie Frimpong, 24, who has a £29.4m-33.6m (35-40m euros) release clause. (Sky Germany - in German), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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Jordan Chamberlain
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

The whole atmosphere inside Anfield changed the minute Arne Slot decided to bring Trent Alexander-Arnold on against Arsenal.

It was like a pin in a balloon, and all the positivity blew out of the ground. The energy became toxic.

Instead of celebrating the Premier League champions, fans wanted to let Trent know what they thought of his decision to leave on a free transfer.

It is maybe one of Slot's few mistakes of the season. If he wanted to take Conor Bradley off, he should have used Jarrell Quansah or Wataru Endo at right-back instead.

Trent's introduction ruined what should have been a game of celebration and I really hope that is the last we see of Trent in Liverpool colours.

What's the point in using him? We have already won the title and he is leaving. Use the players who want to represent us - not the ones who have turned their back on the club and its fans.

Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong is being heavily linked and it would be great to see the Dutchman competing with Bradley for the starting spot. He is a real flier and someone who can put in dangerous deliveries, too.

If Milos Kerkez is also signed at left-back, Liverpool's full-back options could be far more dynamic for next season.

Find more from Jordan Chamberlain at Empire of the Kop, external